Conventionally, distance blocks are formed of hard electrically insulating materials which involve extensive machining and custom fitting during assembly of the end windings. For example, an installer may obtain a block of the approximate size for installation between adjacent end windings and manually fits the block between those end windings. If the block is too thick, the installer grinds the block to the appropriate thickness. If the block is too thin, shims are typically employed to increase the thickness of the block to the size necessary to maintain the adjacent end windings spaced a predetermined distance from one another. It will also be appreciated that the circumferential distance blocks are necessarily tapered. This further complicates the custom fitting of the blocks to the size necessary to space the conductor bars from one another. Consequently, conventional axial and circumferential distance blocks require significant machining and labor for their proper installation, either at the factory or in the field. This adds significant costs to the dynamoelectric machine or its maintenance in the field, for example, in the case of a field rewinding of the rotor. In short, conventional distance blocks and their installation require significant time and effort, and hence cost, to manufacture and install, both initially and in the field.